Method of erecting wire fences



(No Model.)

Fmm

OER

Emma

EIP KW NG mm BM ME w in M NVENIORS Jm'ozflrz nzergf WTTGMJZBW ATTORNEY WITNESSES C NITED STATES FFlCE.

ATQENT JACOB BRINKERHOFF AND WARREN M. BRINKERHOFF, OF AT JBURN, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE WVASHBURN 8t MOEN MANUFACTURING COM- PANY, OF WVORGESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF ERECTING WIRE FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,222, dated October 23, 1883.

I Application filed May 1, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AOOB BRINKERHOFF and WARREN M. BRINKERHOFF, citizens of the United States, residing at Auburn, New

York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Erecting Wire Fences, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manner of erecting and forming twisted-wire fences, whereby lo we are enabled to use wire of a much higher temper, and consequently of much greater strength and elasticity, than hasheretoforebeen possible, and to preserve unbroken the metal coating of the wires while forming them into a twisted cable, and to construct a twistedwire fence that will not stretch and sag when pressure is applied to it, and that will resist much more force without breaking than any twisted-wire fence heretofore made of corresponding size and weight of wire.

It is well known that in the manufacture of twisted fence-wire, both barbed and-plain, the process of twisting has heretofore always been carried out prior to the attachment of the wires to the posts, and that it has never been found possible or practicable to use other than low-tempered or soft wire when the twisting is performed by machinery in the ordinary manner, because nonebut low-tempered or soft wire will set sufficiently to hold the twist and undergo the severe torsional strain consequent upon machine twisting without breaking. Moreover, this severe torsional strain always breaks the metal coating of the wires more or 3 5 less, and causes it to scale off, thus exposing the wires to destruction by rust; and it is also a well-known fact that all twisted wire fences heretofore made will stretch and sag when pressure is applied to them on account 40 of the low-tempered or soft wire used in their construction. Our invention obviates all these disadvantages; and it consists in the method which will be hereinafter set forth, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a series of pairs of wires applied to suitable posts or supports, some of the wires being in position ready for twisting and others being shown when twisted. Fig. 2 represents a suitable fastening device for securing the wires to a 5o support and preventing them from untwisting after they are twisted into a cable.

In carrying out our invention we set a line of posts or supports, A, into the ground in the ordinary manner and strain up, and then at- 5 5- tach thereto, by means of staples, hooks, or other suitable fastening devices, 0, any desired number of wires, B, two or more of which are placed in close proximity to each other, and when twisted constitute a twisted fence wire or cable, B, as is clearly shown in the drawings.

The wire strands may be made of high-tempered steel or other hard metal, and have the customary coating of spelter or other material. 6 5 The straight untwisted wires are secured to posts or supports at such. intervals as may be desired by the fastening devices 0, the two strands being held by a single fastening, which may be of the form shown in Fig. 2; or they may be run through separate fastenings arranged close together, as shown in the drawings.

A suitable twisting-tool, D, is applied to each pair of wire strands at a point at or near the center thereof, between each pair of posts or supports, A. By turning or operating the twisting-tool upon each pair or set of strands,

(at a point as above described) the latter are twisted in a reverse direction from the point where the twisting force is applied to the posts A on either side. Hence it follows that if a fastening device, 0, is driven into a post or support between the wires that are twisted together, at or near a point where the twisting was done, it will prevent the wires from untwisting; ora common fence-nail driven be.-

tween the wires and into a post or support at or near the twisting-point will accomplish the same result.

It will readily be understood that it is not necessary to apply the twisting to sections of wires or strands arranged between each pair of posts, because the wires may be attached to a pair of end posts and conducted through 5 guide eyes or loops on any desired number of intermediate posts. In all cases, however, the wire strands are twisted in reverse directions from a central point between a pair of end posts or terminal supports of the wires or sections thereof to be twisted.

It will be readily seen that our method of constructing twisted-wire fences permits the use of a highly tempered wire, and consequently that the cables or fence-wires formed thereby will possess a great amount of strength, and such a degree of elasticity that when pressure is applied to them they will not stretch and sag, but will return to their normal taut positions, and will withstand a great degree of force without breaking and, further, that the rust-proof coating on the wires will not be broken or impaired by twisting the wires into cables; hence it follows that a fence is produced which is far superior to -Wire fences heretofore known.

When it is desired to construct a barbed cable, one of the wires that is to be used in forming the cable may be provided with barbs according to any method, in any approved manner, the other wire or wires being plain; or they may all be provided with barbs, or barbs may be twisted in between the-Wires when the cable is being formed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. The method herein described of forming wire fencing, said method consisting in setting supports at suitable intervals, attaching thereto at intervals continuous and parallel strands by fastenings which separate said strands at the points of attachment, twisting the strands in reverse directions from a point between said supports, and fastening the twisted cable to an intermediate support at or near the JACOB BRINKERHOFF. WARREN M. BRINKERHOFF'.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES '1. CARSON, JOSEPH O. ANDERSON. 

